120 BIG ONES!

News

3 Mar

Paddock-crossing operator orders 120 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has delivered the first batch of Actros units as part of a 120-truck deal with SGGS.

The Brisbane-based operator runs all over Australia, with an emphasis on “crossing the paddock” between Perth and the East Coast.

SGGS already operated 37 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks as part of its 80-plus truck fleet before inking the new deal.

It recently took delivery of a 2663 Actros model from Daimler Trucks Laverton and the 630hp 16-litre unit soon started work as a quad trailer road train.

The first Actros joined the SGGS fleet back in 2018 and the team was impressed by its reliability, fuel efficiency as well as the full-suite of active safety features.

“That truck has been great and the Actros just keeps getting better and better with each new model,” says SGGS General Manager, Adam Fraser. “The fuel savings are excellent. It soon adds up when you do the kinds of distances that we cover.”

Safety is paramount for SGGS and the company even has a dedicated safety team actively monitoring the data from its trucks, in real-time, 24-hours a day.

SGGS owner, Rajbeer Khangura, says safety is something the company will not skimp on.

“We are 100 per cent committed to safety and our customers are onboard with this too,” he said. “That’s why we like the safety features such as the autonomous emergency braking that come with the Actros. We want the safest equipment we can get.”

Standard safety features of the Actros include the fifth generation radar/camera Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), which can automatically perform full emergency braking for vehicles and moving pedestrians. The standard Active Brake Assist 5 package also includes Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Attention Assist (AA).

SGGS decided to tick the box for the optional Predictive Powertrain Control fuel efficiency feature, which uses satellite data and terrain information to make the best and most economical gearbox control choices. It knows when to coast in neutral and when to re-engage to maintain road-speed as well as when to hold a gear longer than normal, such as when the truck is approaching the top of a hill.

The SGGS story started in 2013, when Mr Khangura began hauling with a single truck. He grew the business steadily and SGGS now has offices in Brisbane and Melbourne with plans for more in other key states.

It should come as no surprise that Mr Khangura ended up in the world of trucks. His father has run a successful truck fleet for more than 40 years out of Chandigarh, Punjab, delivering for customers all over India and passing on many lessons to his son.